It was a complete win. The Broncos 38-6 shellacking of the Atlanta Falcons left little to complain about. The offense did exactly what it needed against a suspect defense. The defense proved it could put a halt to one of the league’s most explosive offenses. And quarterback Bo Nix turned in a near-perfect game – his first 300-yard passing effort with four touchdowns to match.
Such a win leaves little to complain about. But there’s this one little thing…
Can the Broncos somehow get Marvin Mims Jr. the damn ball… more?
It should be noted that Sean Payton has been trying to do just that. His move a week ago against the Chiefs, lining Mims up in a true tailback position, was a step in the right direction.
“When you watch him return, you see him put his foot in the ground and you see his speed,” Payton explained.
Getting Mims the ball in the backfield, or even on a jet sweep, isn’t a bad idea. The problem, at least against Atlanta, is that the Falcons were ready for it. Mims rushing attempts were not a new wrinkle that caught the defense off guard. Against the Chiefs, Mims rushed for 17 yards on three carries, one of which exploded for 14 yards. Against Atlanta, his four carries netted just four yards; his first attempt went for a five-yard loss.
Still, the concept is a good one, as Mims might be the only Bronco with speed enough to turn little things into big things. That was evident on both of Mims pass completions against the Falcons.
On a 3rd-and-10 situation in the 2nd quarter, Payton drew up a creative look for his second-year receiver. Much like the Peyton Manning-led Broncos used to call the “bubble-screen” to get the ball in the hands of Demaryius Thomas, Nix made a quick throw to Mims on the left side with blockers in front of him. The speedy Mims turned the opportunity into a 37-yard completion, picking up the first down in the process.
Just before the first half came to a close, Payton called Mims’ number once again. On a similar screen to the right – this time inside the red zone – Mims made an easy catch but knifed through the Falcons defense en route to a touchdown, his first of the season.
To begin the second half, it was Mims again who gave the Broncos a spark. After the Broncos defense forced the Falcons to go three-and-out on their first possession of the half, Mims caught a punt on the Broncos 18-yardline and scampered to the Atlanta 45, setting Nix and Co. up nicely for what would eventually result a Troy Franklin touchdown.
Beating the Falcons was never in doubt, but it could be argued that in just three plays, Mims changed the entire complexion of the game.
The problem – that likely won’t be discussed in blowout win – is that Mims wasn’t targeted the rest of the game; his only attempts were rushes.
Again, that’s somewhat understandable, considering the score and the fact that Nix spread the ball to his receivers and backs better than any game to date. Still, the Broncos didn’t exactly take their foot off the gas.
Perhaps the play that illustrates just how dangerous Mims truly is, came on a design where he never touched the ball. From the Atlanta 41 and just inside the 4th quarter, it looked as if Mims might be the solution on another 3rd-and-long situation. Mims motioned from right to left as if he might be the recipient of another jet sweep. Instead, he continued his route to the left, drawing the defense all the way to the sideline, opening up a gaping hole for Lil’Jordan Humphrey. Nix made an easy toss to Humphrey, who caught the pass on the 30 and sprinted in, untouched, for a touchdown. The box score will forever read Nix to Humphrey, but Mims may have impacted the play more than anyone. Clearly, the speed possessed by Mims is a major concern for opposing defenses whether he’s getting the ball or not.
Following the Chiefs game, Payton made subtle mention of Deebo Samuel – as in, the Broncos might be trying to utilize Mims in a capacity similar to how the 49ers use Samuel. The coach wasn’t necessarily saying the two players are the same. Samuel is a proven All-Pro, who’s considerably bigger at 6-feet tall and 215 pounds; Mims is 5-11 and 182. But the speed and agility can certainly look similar at times.
If that’s truly the case, Payton needs to find more ways to get Mims on the field more often. On the season, Mims’ snap count percentage is a paltry 22.77%, which places him dead last on the Broncos roster when it comes to snap count at the wide receiver position. For the sake of comparison, Samuel is on the field for 62.9% of San Francisco’s offensive snaps – more than any receiver on the team.
The Broncos offense was excellent against the Falcons and has been good enough to beat bad defenses badly all season long. But if there’s a consistent criticism – or perhaps an excuse – of the Bo Nix-led Broncos, it’s that the young quarterback lacks dynamic playmakers around him.
Marvin Mims Jr. could be such a playmaker.
But he needs to be on the field.
